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NEWS
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4 ASIAN TRADER 1 NOVEMBER 2024
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Sainsbury’s has kicked of a
range improvement pro-
gramme across its convenience
store estate as part of its plan to
revamp the smaller stores.
According to recent
reports, the supermarket will
carry out a full range review,
where it will assess which
items are performing well in
its convenience arm Sains-
bury’s Local stores. This will
include whether particular
lines need to be removed or
added, including its selection
of “dine in” or “food-to-go”
products.
The supermarket will also be
looking at how it can better use
the space in its convenience.
Sainsbury’s has previously
announced plans to open
between 20 and 25 convenience
stores annually to increase its
presence on the high street.
As of June 2024, Sainsbury’s
has 834 convenience stores in
the UK.
It comes as Sainsbury’s and
Argos confi rmed plans to hire
18,000 people at Sainsbury’s
and 2,000 workers at Argos to
help cover the busy Christmas
period.
Sainsbury’s to revamp
Local c-stores
Let the party begin
he clocks have been turned back, Halloween has risen
and returned to the grave, and now Diwali has lit up its
lanterns to show us the path ahead. Winter is of cially
almost here, but instead of hunkering down it is time to put
on your glad-rags and head to the 35th Asian Trader Awards.
Last year’s event was a packed-out triumph, and we hope to
ensure this year’s celebration is at least as vibrant
This issue went to press before the Chancellor’s
Autumn Statement – predicted to be dark and chilly – and
it is published just two days after it, which puts us in the
position of having any predictions immediately exposed
as right or wrong in the harsh glare of immediate judge-
ment. Andrew Goodyear’s very interesting column in this
issue does not make predictions, but rather outlines
Bira’s position and what storeowners should be looking
for in the budget – and it will be very interesting to
discover how far Chancellor Rachel Reeves is aligned
with retailers’ interests.
With the festive season fast approaching, it will be
interesting to see whether shoppers decide to open their
purses to buy festive treats – biscuits and cakes, advent
calendars (should be in stock now!) and confectionery,
spirits and wines and beers aplenty. The self-treat season,
if merchandised smartly, can mean repeat purchases
from late September right up to New Year.
The fact that the latest figures show that inflation is
finally under control (a little less in grocery than other
categories, but we can’t import our food from China) has
prompted speculation about another drop in interest
rates later this month. The immediate effect another
quarter per cent off one’s mortgage might mean for
champagne sales is slightly overdone in the Press, but at a
mass level, it will lift consumer spirits and on average
raise expenditure a bit more.
There is some evidence that a dip in customers filling
up their baskets in September, despite the cost-of-living
crisis slowing or even reversing (some hope!) may be due
to strategic forbearance – that shoppers are delaying
deploying money saved until they see the whites of Santa
Claus’s eyes, when they will suddenly go wild with
seasonal spending.
All we can recommend, absent evidence that people
are more broke rather than less, is that retailers should
stock carefully, merchandise colourfully, and pay close
attention to our upcoming festive product features to see
what might be at the top of consumers’ wish-lists this
festive season.
Perhaps the best Christmas gift the government could
give to hard-pressed and sorely-tried shopkeepers would
be finally to take retail crime seriously. As we report, the
ongoing crime wave, compounded by the appalling
inaction of police, has worn out the patience of retailers,
who now, short of being physically injured, do not even
bother to report most crimes. This terrible situation will
only be made worse by the draconian edicts of the upcom-
ing vape and tobacco ban, which will be welcomed by the
various foreign mafias who are moving in to take over
illicit trade in the UK.
Ministers are facing “pres-
sure” to increase the price of
cheap alcohol in England by
introducing minimum unit
pricing for alcohol after a
recent report highlighted the
“alarming” death toll in
England caused by cheap
drinks.
Lord Darzi’s investigation
into the NHS report, published
earlier this month, said deaths
attributed to alcohol stabilised
when “tough action” was
taken. He was referring to the
duty escalator, which increased
alcohol duty by two per cent
above infl ation each year
between 2008 and 2014.
Darzi wrote, “Alcohol is
becoming more af ordable over
time, and deaths are rising at an
alarming rate. In the pandemic,
there was a 10.8% annual increase
between 2019 and 2022.”
A two-litre bottle of cider can
be bought in England for under
£2, which equates to 22p per
unit of alcohol.
Health of cials believe a
review is almost certain given
the fi ndings of the report and
the rising death toll, even
though the government
reportedly ruled out minimum
unit pricing shortly after
winning power.
“It raises the price of the
strongest, cheapest drinks – the
ones that cause most harm,”
said Richard Piper, CEO of
Alcohol Change UK.
Scotland introduced
minimum unit pricing in 2018,
with a minimum of 50p per
unit. The price rose on Monday
to 65p. This puts the minimum
price for a 700ml bottle of 40
per cent ABV whisky at £18.20;
a 700ml bottle of 13% wine
£6.34; and a litre bottle of 5%
alcohol cider £3.25. Wales
introduced minimum unit
pricing in March 2020.
‘Pressure’ on Govt to impose new rule despite
Scottish results
Calls to bring minimum unit
Calls to bring minimum unit
pricing for alcohol in England
pricing for alcohol in England
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